New thoughts for the week
What Training I Just Completed
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I just finished the online Ranger Safety Course by the Royal Rangers. It is an excellent course and probably could be called Church Safety or Kidmin Safety. It is that good. It does use Royal Rangers throughout the training, however, I think every kidmin leader should take this course. It is only $10 and worth every penny. There are 9 short lessons and a quiz for each session.Here are the sessions1. Introduction2. Steps to keep boys safe (my favorite session)3. General Principles4. Weather Hazards5. Vehicles6. Video Technology7. Safety Scenario 1( real safety scenario any church could face.8. Safety Scenario 29 Wrap-upLookup this course at:The children in our care need us to view safety as a statement of their personal importance.
Loss Of A Hero
Last night I learned of the passing of Charlie Chivers of Special Touch Ministries. I was out at Spencer Lake Yesterday and sat in the wheel-chair accessible golf cart the boys and girls of WNMD purchase for the Special Touch summer get-aways. Charlie will be missed. I loved his heart for those in our community who had special needs. I am praying today for his wife and family. We will miss you Charlie. We will never forget your heart and actions for those with Special needs. Working with kids we minister to kids with special needs all the time. Charlie dedicated his entire ministry to those with special needs. An incredible man and an incredible legacy.
Remembering 9-11
Tomorrow commemorates the 29th anniversary of 9-11. Do you remember where you were that day? I do so vividly. I was a kids pastor in Janesville. I remember we received a phone call to turn on the TV from our Associate pastor's wife. My wife and I watched with agony the planes flying into the towers and the Pentagon. My mother-in-law was on a bus traveling to Ohare to catch a plane. On the way down a man listening to a transistor radio said the planes had flown into towers in New York. When she got to Ohare in Chicago, she had to take the bus back home. Flights had been canceled. They were canceled for days. In the US 36,000+ flights happen each day. It was so odd not to look to the sky and see a plane up there. Back at home, we were planning a women's night at the church. We had just learned we were expecting our 2nd child. My heart turned to our children. How would we minister to them? This was a tragedy. To me, it was obviously terrorism. Our world it seemed would never be the same. Knowing that boys and girls lost their parents that day in an instant was hard on kids. Some were afraid to go back to school. Afraid to leave mom and dad. I'm reminded of that day today as kids today deal with our world in the midst of Covid. As Spiritual leaders, we need to hear from God and provide a Kingdom of God perspective to what is happening. We need to point boys and girls and their parents to Christ.
Quotes I'm Pondering
“September 11, 2001, revealed heroism in ordinary people who might have gone through their lives never called upon to demonstrate the extent of their courage.” — Geraldine Brooks
“When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. We’re not about what happened on 9/11. We’re about what happened on 9/12.” — Jeff Parness
“On this day… 19 years (September 10th) ago, 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift. None of them saw past 10:00 am Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted.”
—Unknown
"We've seen so much that brings tears to our eyes and makes us all feel a sense of anger. But God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest." — Billy Graham (Sept. 14, 2001).
